Business Context

Sales and operations teams frequently need to generate and distribute documents - such as quotes, order confirmations, or contracts - without requiring manual steps each time a record reaches a certain stage. Manually launching Composer, selecting a template, and routing the output introduces delays, increases the risk of human error, and prevents consistent document handling at scale. By enabling Background Mode through the DS7 parameter, organizations can trigger document generation and delivery automatically, reducing cycle times and improving process reliability.

Overview

The DS7 parameter in Conga Composer for Salesforce enables Background Mode, which initiates a merge operation without requiring user intervention. When DS7 is set to a non-zero value, Composer bypasses the interactive UI and routes the merged document directly to the configured destination, such as attaching it to a Salesforce record, emailing it automatically, or sending it to an eSignature service.

Merged documents processed through Background Mode are supported up to 25 MB in size. The specific destination and behavior are determined by the numeric value assigned to DS7. This use case focuses on the most common automation scenario: automatically generating a merged document and attaching it to the master Salesforce object (&DS7=1), and then extending that to auto-email delivery (&DS7=12).

Scenario

A Salesforce administrator at a software company needs to automate the generation and delivery of quote documents whenever an opportunity reaches the Proposal Sent stage. The administrator wants the merged PDF quote to be:

1. Automatically generated from a Composer template when the stage changes.
2. Attached to the Opportunity record without any sales representative interaction.
3. Emailed automatically to the primary contact on the opportunity.

The administrator uses &DS7=1 to silently attach the merged document to the master Opportunity record, and &DS7=12 in a separate button or trigger to auto-send the document via email.

Actors and Roles

• Salesforce Administrator - Configures the Composer button URL or Conga Trigger with the DS7 parameter and supporting parameters. Sets up the automation rule that fires when the Opportunity stage changes.
• Sales Representative - Owns the Opportunity record. Does not interact with Composer directly; the merge and delivery occur automatically.
• Conga Composer - Executes the merge in the background and routes the output to the configured destination.

Prerequisites

• Conga Composer is installed and configured in the Salesforce org.
• A Composer template (Word, PDF, or other supported format) for the quote document exists and is associated with the Opportunity object.
• A Composer Solution or button URL is configured on the Opportunity object, or Conga Trigger is set up to fire on a field update.
• For &DS7=12 (auto-email): A Conga Email Template or Salesforce Email Template exists and is referenced via the &CongaEmailTemplateID (CETID) parameter.
• For &DS7=12: At least one email recipient parameter is defined, such as &EmailToID, specifying the contact or user who will receive the document.
• If activity logging is required for email delivery steps, Automatic Logging is enabled via &AC0=1.

Trigger

The merge is triggered when a Salesforce automation rule (Process Builder, Flow, or Conga Trigger) detects that the Opportunity Stage field has changed to Proposal Sent. The automation invokes the Composer button URL or Conga Trigger configuration that includes the DS7 parameter.

When the Composer URL is invoked programmatically (for example, via Conga Trigger or a Flow action), no Composer user interface is displayed. The merge begins immediately in the background.

Tasks

Result

When an Opportunity's Stage changes to Proposal Sent, the following occurs automatically, without any action from the sales representative:

• Conga Composer merges the quote template with data from the Opportunity record in the background.
• The merged document is attached to the Opportunity record as a Salesforce attachment or file (DS7=1).
• The merged document is automatically emailed to the primary contact on the Opportunity (DS7=12), with an activity log entry created on the record if AC0=1 is enabled.

Variations and Related Scenarios

The same background automation pattern applies to other delivery destinations supported by DS7. Consider these common extensions of this use case:

• DocuSign auto-send (&DS7=17) - Bypasses the DocuSign UI entirely and sends the merged document directly to the DocuSign envelope for signature. Requires an App Password and matching email addresses in Salesforce and DocuSign.
• Salesforce Files attachment (&DS7=11) - Attaches the merged document to Salesforce Files (Content) on the master object rather than as a classic attachment.
• Google Drive save (&DS7=9) - Saves the merged Microsoft Office document to a configured Google Drive location.
• Conga Sign auto-send (&DS7=1142) - Automatically sends the merged document via Conga Sign Professional. Requires the &CSRecipient parameter.
• Conga Contracts negotiation (&DS7=111) - Sends the merged document directly to the Send for Negotiation email service in Conga Contracts, redirecting the user to the email preview screen before sending.

Tips and Best Practices

• Test before activating automation. Because DS7=12 sends the email automatically with no preview, thoroughly test the template merge and email routing in a sandbox environment before enabling the automation rule in production.
• Enable activity logging when needed. If your business requires a record of sent emails or tasks on the Opportunity, include &AC0=1 in your DS7=12 configuration.
• Document size limit. Background Mode supports merged documents up to 25 MB. Ensure your templates and any embedded images or attachments remain within this limit.
• DS7=5 for long-running merges. If the merge takes significant time, consider using &DS7=5 instead of DS7=1. This allows the user to navigate away from the master record while the merge completes in the background.
• DS7=7 vs. DS7=17 for DocuSign. Use DS7=7 when you want the user to review the DocuSign envelope before sending. Use DS7=17 for fully automated, no-touch delivery. Note that DS7=7 has a known DocuSign API limitation affecting routing order; drag the first row slightly upward to resolve ordering issues.

Related Topics

• DS7: Conga Composer Parameter Guide
• AC0: Automatic Logging Parameter
• CongaEmailTemplateID (CETID) Parameter
• DS7Preview Parameter